REVIEW: Mr. Worldwide Brings the 305 to the Spa City
09/02 @ SPAC, Saratoga Springs
Photos by Elissa Ebersold
“It was a little bit shocking to see an entire sea of women that fancied themselves Pitbull impersonators throughout the night, complete with bald caps, shades, fake facial hair and a shirt and tie combined with miniskirts and fishnet stockings.”
Pulling into my parking spot at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, September 2, it occurred to me that I was about to encounter something that’s increasingly rare for me as a music fan: an experience that was truly outside of my personal norm as a concert goer. Despite his legion of dedicated fans and reputation as a globetrotting, bilingual crossover star, I was but a tourist in the world of Mr. Worldwide himself, Pitbull. My photo partner for the evening, our own Elissa Ebersold, had been to one of his shows at SPAC before and tried her best to prepare me.
“You’re going to have the best time,” she told me when I signed on to accompany her. “Try to count the amount of bald caps you see.” I realized quickly that that would be a futile effort and it was a little bit shocking to see an entire sea of women that fancied themselves Pitbull impersonators throughout the night, complete with bald caps, shades, fake facial hair and a shirt and tie combined with miniskirts and fishnet stockings. A few even had on versions of his trademark flashy suits like his famous red and black look.
It was an early indication that this crowd had turned up ready to party, and that’s exactly what they did when Lil Jon emerged to open up the night with a trip back to the nightclubs of Hotlanta in the 2000s. Throughout the set, he mused on some emotional topics such as his quarter-century long friendship with Pitbull, his upcoming memoir to be released this October, and the outpouring of fan support after the death of his son earlier this year.
“That support gave me the energy to get here,” he told the crowd before thanking them from the bottom of his heart. It was a level of emotional depth many probably wouldn’t expect to get from the man who brought us Crunk Juice energy drinks, but don’t worry… the set was flush with his trademark YEAHs, WHATs, and OKAYs! Truly one of music’s all-time great hype men, he was masterful in working the crowd and getting them into the show. Hearing him complete feats like deliver a remix of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” while getting the entire crowd to sing the chorus was a pretty surreal and surprising experience, a trick he also utilized to mash up Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” with a transition into his massive hit “Shots!”. It was a set that ran through a playlist of his biggest hits from the 2000s and 2010s, or as he puts it, “back when I was running your iPod!”
After a brief intermission the second half of the evening’s dynamic duo was set to take the stage, and Mr. Worldwide himself emerged to an intro of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” which blended into his opening hit, “Don’t Stop the Party.” The audience’s energy level immediately surged off the charts, with a kinetic wave of dance sweeping the entirety of the 25,000-person sellout crowd. His presentation was expertly choreographed with a sextet of dancers flanking him throughout the show, and the entire performance gave the impression that the whole venue had been pulled down to South Beach for our very own Pitbull music video shoot.
Through it all, the joy on Pitbull’s face was more palpable with every big reaction from the crowd. Being the center of an ocean of fans, including many who’ve gone so far as to completely copy his appearance, never seems to get old for the global superstar. He candidly reflected on his own experience as a teen, when it was the presence of one supportive teacher and their belief in his ability that changed the trajectory of his life forever. His ability to maintain an authentic humility among the grandiose presentation of his music is something that you can’t help but admire.While I went into the night as someone who would not describe themselves as a Pitbull fan, I was soon swept right up in the energy, singing along to choruses and moving and grooving to such absolute bangers as “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” and a cover of Daddy Yankee’s 2004 smash hit, “Gasolina.”
At the end of it all, Pitbull and Lil Jon were able to give us a night of pure 2000s-laden nostalgia. It felt like stepping through a dimensional rift back to the night club scenes in the era of LeBron James’ Miami Heat, letting us throw all our worries away and get lost in the rhythm for a while. As an entertainer, if you’ve accomplished that goal, you’ve put on one hell of a show. By the time I left my first ever Pitbull experience, I was convinced that this guy is an absolutely elite entertainer, no matter what kind of music you typically listen to.
